Peter’s Take

Reversing the incompetence of last year’s defensive system alone should do (modestly appreciable) wonders for Holtby’s numbers. Undoing Oates’ ill-advised tweaks and adding Korn to the diet should help as well. And icing in front of Holtby the best defensive roster this team has seen in at least 15 years, well, this may very well be a Vezina season for Braden.

Braden isn’t gonna win the Vezina (Price, in a walk), but he played good enough to earn the elite label. Here are the best goalies of the last decade, each with at least 5000 shots faced.

Player

Shots Faced

Save Percentage

Rask

7463

.926

Schneider

5804

.925

Vokoun

13003

.921

Holtby

5166

.921

Lundqvist

17398

.921

Thomas

12704

.920

Price

12899

.919

Rinne

10635

.919

Bobrovsky

6711

.918

Luongo

17356

.918

That’s a good list, and Holtby’s in a good spot, because he also is good.

This season, Holtby led the league in games played (73, which is more than Mike Green, who is not a goalie), games started (71), shots faced (2044), saves (1887), and quality starts (45). That last one is something of a fancy statistic, and I’ll get even a bit fancier with this next one: save percentage on high-danger shots, in which Holtby was second best.

Again: If Price weren’t ridiculously good for a ridiculously bad team, Holtby would have a great case to win the Vezina. For example: nine shutouts– including a perfect three against Boston (88 shots, 88 saves).

This is usually the part where I reach back in time to embed snide criticism from Twitter (“Trade Holtby!” “Average goaltender at best!”), but I’m in too good of a mood. Braden put me there. The only matter left to discuss is his next contract.